Why Techtronix?

Techtronix is a multi-server chat network dedicated to supporting communities that are in the gaming and technology area. However, Techtronix accepts all types of communities. Techtronix was launched as its own entity as a public beta on July 23, 2013. The network has been around for over five years, and it doesn't plan on going anywhere, any time soon!

If you're considering Techtronix as your IRC network of choice for hosting your community, you've come to the right page.

Features

Techtronix has always had one thing at the core of the entire project: features. Features that are useful to both the moderator and the user. Technically, Techtronix runs InspIRCd as the IRC daemon and Anope as the network services, but both pieces of software have been customized by the Techtronix Development Team under the guidance of other contributors to the network, and also feature custom-written modules/features. Techtronix by nature chose a modular IRCd and services pack for the ability to easily add in features, make changes, etc.

NickServ

NickServ here on Techtronix contains a few enhancements to make using the network a joy. On Techtronix, you can add custom profile information to your NickServ account, such as your Twitter handle, Steam ID, and so on. Users who are interested in learning more about you can then find this information by looking your account up via /msg NickServ INFO nick_here. Of course, standard features are offered as well, such as the ability to set your own language that services will use to speak to you. Only supported languages can be set, though.

More information on NickServ can be found on its dedicated wiki page.

Channels, and ChanServ

Channel features on Techtronix are a lot more useful to moderators looking to have an enjoyable time being on the network as a moderator of a channel. Channels should always be registered via ChanServ, as that's the basic service used to control channels on the network.

More information on ChanServ can be found on its dedicated wiki page.

Channels can:

1. Set their own URL that gets shown to clients when they join the channel

2. Set their own git repo information (applies to only relevant channels)

3. Have their recent chat history shown to joining users, and can span back a few minutes even

4. Use "fantasy" commands to make moderation easier (Ex: To ban a user while logged in, just type !ban stupidtroll for ChanServ to immediately remove them from the chat)

5. Use any of the publicly available network bots, such as Infobot to make chatting more interactive and engaging

6. Make use of the awesome default flood protection to help protect against the bad folks on IRC

7. Use ChanServ to save channel modes (basically, features that can be enabled or disabled), even when nobody is in your channel

8. Use ChanServ to mark your channel as "permanent" (won't disappear from channel listings (/list) when the channel is empty)

9. ...and much more

Techtronix offers something on the network that very few others offer: channel history. Channel history is exactly what it sounds like. For example, folks who join the channel can have the past 30 messages within 120 seconds (2 minutes) shown to them. This helps with giving a backscroll of what was being discussed before a client joins. To set the example configuration that I specified above, your this command: /mode #channel +H 30:120.

As mentioned earlier, network bots are available on the network. Infobot in particular can do many things, such as use an 8ball, use WolframAlpha, tell you the weather, give info on various links, and so on. Here's is how the links feature works:

8:02:53 PM <~Techman> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc0AjnGcOnM

8:02:54 PM <@Infobot> (Techman) GTA 5 PC Release Delayed, PC Specs, Heists Coming Soon and New 4K Screenshots! - length 2m 24s - 43 likes, 2 dislikes (95.6%) - 986 views - GTA Wise Guy on *2015.01.13 *

8:03:02 PM <~Techman> Grr I want heists to hurry up

Custom Messages for /WHOIS

When someone wants to find out current information about your connection to the network, they may wish to /WHOIS you. With something called a SWHOIS, your current information contains a special message, specific to your account. You have to request your own custom message by asking in #Help, but here is an example of a /WHOIS request. The custom message part is in bold. Everything else can be ignored.

• [Techman] (Techman@Techtronix/staff/Techman): Techman

• [Techman] really loves philly cheese steaks

• [Techman] clank.techtronix.net :In honor of Ratchet & Clank

• [Techman] is an IRC operator

• [Techman] is available for help.

• [Techman] is logged in as Techman

• [Techman] is a registered nick

• [Techman] is using a secure connection

• [Techman] End of WHOIS list.

Experience

All current and future staff are appointed by existing network officials and must meet certification requirements, as determined by network staff. All personnel is trained in what position they hold on the board and are given their own set of instruction on how to operate the network when in most situations. Put simply, we don't allow immature teenagers to run the network.

Security

Techtronix has protections set up against common difficulties experienced by IRC networks, such as botnets. All relevant staff have push notifications (meaning, they are "on call" via their smartphones) in case there is a network issue or emergency that needs to be taken care of quickly. We employ different barriers of security checks on the network. More information on the different Techtronix services (including security services) is available on the wiki.

Dedication

Techtronix staff is dedicated to helping communities on the network, among other things. All staff members devote personal time to the network as well. We don't have "dormant" staff members; that creates an artificial sense of activity and that's not what the goal is. Techtronix has the ability to serve many different types of communities, from Reddit to streamers. All network staff has experience in one of these areas.